Kisurakkaus Mittens

 I finished these mittens just in time. I need to send them to my daughter next week if they're gonna make it there by her birthday.

Pattern: Kisurakkaus Kirjoneulelapaset by Hanna Pesonen

Size: Womens Medium

Yarn: Lana Gatto Wool Gatto

Content: 100% Superwash Wool, Sport weight
Color: Black

Yarn: Berroco Comfort Sock
Content: 50% Nylon, 50% Acrylic. Fingering weight
Color: 1812

Needles: Circular size 3

Started: March 21, 2024
Finished: April 21, 2024

Comments: I learned so much making these mittens. I wouldn't recommend them for a beginner though, that's for sure! First of all, the pattern is written in Finnish, which I don't know anything about. The charts are pretty good though, so I figured I'd figure it out.

The designer made these with Aran weight yarn and got a gauge of 29 stitches to 4 inches. With ARAN yarn! I could not get that gauge using a light worsted weight (I originally planned to use Cascade 220 Wool) and size 1. I dug in my stash and found a skein of sport weight black Lana Gatto. I found two skeins of Berroco Comfort fingering sock yarn for the second color. Decided to knit with 2 strands held together of that. I got gauge with a size 3 needle.

I made a small change to the pattern. I started with 3 rounds of 1 by 1 rib. I felt the need for something to pull the fabric in just a bit before that first Latvian Braid. It has a kind of stabilizing effect.

The main motif on the back of the hand is this cute little Art Deco style cat. 

The pattern only has one chart, so I had to figure out how to reverse it for the second mitten so the cats would face each other. I scanned the chart into my computer as a jpeg, flipped it and called it good.

This is the palm side.

Here's a close up of the paw print.

Detail of the thumb. Little cat heads. The back side is just the alternating dot pattern. The thumb gave me a hard time. When you put the thumb stitches on a holder, you then cast on just 3 stitches in the space made and carry on. When it is time to put the thumb stitches back on the needle, you then have to pick up 11 more sts, but there's only three in that space. I've not seen a thumb like that before. Fortunately, my daughter came to the rescue and found a video that explains how to do that here:

Picking Up Stitches For The Thumb

And, because people ask, here's the inside floats.

There was a lot of tinking and frogging for this project so I'm super glad to have them done. With any luck, I'll get them in the mail later this week.

I still don't have my Medicare card. I talked to them on the phone a second time which resulted in them sending me a form to have my husband fill out which confirmed I'm his wife. Then two weeks ago I found out my application has been denied for not having enough work credits. 

That was it! I've been waiting for 3 months! Friday of that week I finally called Senator Crapo, who is our Senator, and asked for help. Their problem solver emailed me a form to fill out giving them permission to look into my files, and I was told they'll get it fixed. Last Friday I received the official application denial from Social Security in the mail. Haven't heard from Crapo's office since sending in the form.

Contrary to what SSA seems to think, I am qualified to receive Medicare. I've been married to my husband for 42 years. I figure I've worked maybe a total of 7 years during that time. The rest of the time I've been the house wife/stay at home mom. Doug worked enough to qualify us both for Medicare. Sheesh, what a mess!

This year I bought my plants for the deck flower boxes early. Plants are readily available too soon by at least 6 weeks for my personal weather zone. I can't plant until after Mothers Day. I thought I could keep them alive by putting them out during the day, and bringing them in at night so they don't freeze. I got 36 marigolds and 12 strawberries. Yup. That didn't work out. I forgot to bring them in 2 nights later and we got a freeze cold enough to kill the marigolds (strawberries are fine). I was lamenting this to my friend on Monday and she told me about a tiny little greenhouse on sale at BiMart. She went with me to the store to help me find them. I bought one. I also bought marigolds to replace the dead ones. 

This little house works! It's surprisingly well made. The front has a doorway that zips closed. I've been putting a pot of tap hot water on the bottom shelf at night to make extra sure my plants stay alive, but it's supposed to be able to keep them alive down to 20F with the door zipped up.

I'm very happy with it.

Still working on Andoa. I'll talk about it another time.

Live long and prosper. \\//

Bonnie Isle Fairisle Hat

  Bonnie hat is done.

Pattern: Bonnie Isle Hat by Linda Shearer

Size: Adult

Yarn: Garnstudio DROPS Fabel
Content: 75% wool/24% Nylon, fingering weight
Colors: 100 Off White, 105 Turquoise

Yarn: Regal 4ply Fingering
Content: Washable Wool, fingering weight
Color: 163 Pasture

Yarn: Regia 6-fädig Tweed

Content: 70% washable wool/25% Nylon/5% Rayon, fingering weight
Color: 52 (Dark Blue Tweed)

Yarn: Super Yarn Mart Masterpiece Giroflee

Content: Washable Wool, fingering weight
Color: 04 Dark Grey

Needles: Circular size 4

Started: June 13, 2022
Finished: Jul7 9, 2022

Comments: I enjoy knitting fairisle. That's all there is to it. This hat has a sea theme. I don't know if the anchors and waves stand out or not.

However, I am not happy with the cuff/brim part of this hat. It starts with a few rows of corrugated rib, then changes to a flat circle pattern, then back to corrugated rib so it wants to roll up. If there's a next time, I'm doing the corrugated rib all together and the circles after.

Here's an up close of the stitch patterns.

The crown was a little bit challenging for me. It was hard to keep the stitches even. I think it looks pretty cool. I did change the color order a bit. There was supposed to be a darker strip between the blue one and the center, but I didn't think I would like it, so I continued on with the white instead.

For the knitters, here's the inside floats.

I will be giving this to KnitWits. We are short on mens hats and this will do nicely.

So, that's the end of finished knitting. I've started two new projects already. I've decided to knit another Crazed Scandinavian Cowl, but make it a scarf. I've also started another hat for KnitWits.

Cough update: I'm still coughing. I really thought a change in asthma medication would work, but it hasn't. I'm at a loss. I see the doctor next month. Not really looking forward to it. 

Gonna be a hot one today, and all the way into the weekend. The hot days of summer have arrived.

Live long and prosper. \\//

WIP Wednesday June 22, 2022

 I've got a new WIP to share. But first, I want to let you know I have finished Lovelia, the cardigan and pants for my new niece. I just have to make a hat and some socks and the set will be complete. No pictures until the complete set is done.

In the meantime, here's the start of a wonderful fairisle hat I'm making for KnitWits.

This is The Bonnie Hat, the official hat of this years Shetland Wool Festival, which I can't go to cuz it's on another continent far far away, but I love the hat patterns they put out every year. This one will have ship anchors on it, and waves. A decidedly ocean theme, and very masculine. Since KnitWits is short on mens hats, I'm whipping one up. I'm using machine washable sock yarns.

The Choke Cherry trees have been blooming this past week. I thought I'd take some pictures. I think they're beautiful, and the flowers smell like cherry blossoms. We start with this one with a sunbeam glowing.

This is the top of the tree.

Here is a close up. I love the tentacles reaching out with a little spot of pollen on them.

They're such a beautiful shade of cream.

I took a picture of this wildflower in hopes someone will know what it is.

For some reason I thought it was Milkwort, or maybe Figwort, but I am not remembering correctly. I know it's in one of my wildflower books. I have 3. I can't find one of them and that's the book this flower is in. Urgh. If you can identify it, please leave a comment?

Here is a close up. They grow about 12 to 18 inches tall, but the leaves stay low on the ground. The flowers are about a quarter inch and stay cupped with those bright yellow stamens peaking out. They don't open all the way up. They're covered in soft thin hair which I find fascinating.

Well, that's all for today.

Live long and prosper. \\//

WIPs Report

I have WIPs to share. First is a new baby cardigan for KnitWits I finally got started. I had this funky idea. The fleece I have for this to go with has brightly colored bears over a hounds tooth check pattern in pink and white. It inspired this.

The bears are purple, lime green, blue, and yellow. I chose the purple and green for the first set. I kind of like it.

The second WIP is the beginning of a second Kep. I joined the Knit Along being held on the Kep Facebook group.

The first week we make the cuff band. I've been having a hard time with it. Lots of stress in my life right now. I cast on 5 times before I got it right. Brain just would not work right. Once I got it cast on, everything smoothed out. I got this far. The tan is too light. You can hardly see it. I don't like it. So last night I ripped back and took the tan out.

I looked in my stash for a suitable brown replacement, but there isn't any. So I decided to use some of the leftovers from my Margaret Tudor sweater I made last year.

It isn't want I wanted to begin with, which was natural sheep colors, but it's what I have. So I'm going with it. It looks much better, contrast-wise, then the tan did. I'll be happy with it.

I am going camping this weekend and will be taking both of these projects with me.

This is the baby cardigan I've started for a nephew and his wife who are going to have a baby boy later this year.

It's a Drops pattern. Not an easy one because the instructions are not that well written. They assume you are an advanced knitter. I've got it sorted out. The pattern has a cardigan, pants, hat, socks, and mitts. I have until August to get this done.

Going camping for the 3 day weekend. Trying a new-to-us park. Looking forward to getting away for a little bit. Will be back Monday.

Live long and prosper. \\//

What I Did During The Great Pandemic Of 2020

So, here we are. Cooped up in our homes for an unknown length of time. I had hoped nothing like this would happen in my lifetime. It's all very scary for me. The first three days of staying home and watching all of my knitting group meetings being cancelled was pretty traumatic. I was an anxiety/panic attack basket case. I couldn't even knit. So I played games on my phone, cried a lot, and felt miserable. Eventually, though, I started to climb out of the black hole.

What am I doing during this dangerous and trying time now? Knitting. What else. And missing my knitting friends.

I've finished the knitting on the Crazed Scandinavian Cowl.

It's still on the needles because the instructions say leave it on while I work in ends, and steam block. Then I will be grafting the two ends together. I like it. It's a bit heavier than I expected, but that just means it will be nice and warm.

I made some progress on the mitten. I did this over the weekend outside. It was warm and sunny and perfect knitting weather. I put a chaise lounge out on the lawn and sat there instead of on the deck because the deck still had a huge amount of snow on it, which made sitting chilly-sunshine or not. The snow is officially melted off today, but the temperature out is considerably lower. It's cloudy and getting cloudier. Rain and snow are on the way.

Last night, I started my first Kep, which is a traditional hat from the Fair-isle Islands.

I don't think I've mentioned this here. A few weeks ago I discovered a group on Facebook, The Fair Isle Fisherman's Kep Page. This groups sole purpose is devoted to the above pattern, written by Anne Sinclair, which can be purchased only through the group. The pattern sales go toward the George Waterston Memorial Centre and Museum in Fair Isle, Shetland. I repeat, it can only be purchased via the Facebook group. You can't even purchase it directly from the museums web site.

Now, I would think having this pattern for sale in Ravelry and other places on the internet would be much more profitable, so having to join this group in order to purchase the pattern kind of mystifies me. It's the way they've got it set up though. If you want to join the group, you will be required to answer three questions and then read the rules if membership is approved. Then you can order the pattern, which is a bit of a process also, but not too bad. I got my pattern last month. I wanted to finish the cowl knitting before I started it.

I decided to use leftover Palette yarn from the Harriet's hat I made last month. I traded out the bright pink for some lime green though. Daughter Ruth just happened to have some. It's going to be a fun knit.

I had to do a bit of figuring because the pattern comes with several different charts to use. You have to plan out your hat. After I got done planning, I cast on. I did the first 5 rows, then took the above picture to post in the group. I couldn't sleep last night, so I knit in bed until 3 am. So there's a few more rows done. I plan to work on it tonight.

I don't know when I'll steam the cowl. Some time in the next few days, I suppose. Gotta clean a bunch of stuff off the dining room/crafting table to make room for the blocking board.

In the meantime, if sweet hubby and I don't kill each other during this time of house arrest, I'll be surprised. Just sayin'.

Live long and prosper. \\//   And stay well.

Pretend It's WIP Wednesday

I meant to post this Wednesday/yesterday. Progress on current wips. First we have the Crazed Scandinavian Cowl.

I am 2/3rds done. Over 450 rows. I wish what little purple there is would show in the picture. Another thing you can't see is that the tension was kind of uneven until just below the row of hearts. I stopped there to work on Harriet. When I went back to it, everything is so even and smooth it looks blocked. Harriet improved my tension. What I'd like to know is why didn't the previous 300+ rows do it? Whatever.

I started a pair of mittens from a Selbuvotter book.

I'm calling this my bed knitting. I'm having problems with insomnia. I decided rather than laying there in the dark wishing I'd fall asleep, I'd do something productive. Thus, the mitten. Interestingly, since getting my asthma under control this past week, I'm starting to be able to sleep more, so I expect I'll have to finish this in the recliner.

There's a definite fairisle trend in my knitting this year. I need to start a public knitting project. Something easy.

Sunshine this week. Colder than Antarctica, but it's been pretty. It's hard to be grumpy when the sun shines at this time of year.

Live long and prosper. \\//